Shoe tree



Oct 1969 F. A. RAVREBY ETAL 77 SHOE TREE Filed July 14, 1967 INVENTORS FRED A. RAVREBY, RICHARD CJTALSON 8. RALPH W. SPEER BY W/ ATTORNEY United States Patent O US. Cl. 12-1156 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE into axially aligned relation with said main or central member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, numerous efforts have been made to develop a shoe tree for accommodating shoes of varying sizes. Such expedients have consistently been relatively complex structures, incorporating various adjustable mechanical means for effecting a preselected alteration in the relationship of the components, as well as embodying tog le and lever elements, all of which require careful manipulation by the user. Additionally, such current structures have been of substantial proportions for contacting the major portion of the inner face of the shoe upper and the insole thereby creating problems of ventilation, as well as effecting the application of undue force to the shoe. Also, such shoe trees have embodied heel elements for engaging the lower rearward portion of the shoe and have thus not been useful with shoes having open heels. The present invention manifestly overcomes the aforesaid inadequacies and deficiencies of shoe trees presently known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe tree which is adapted by reason of the unique articulation of its components to readily accommodate a wide range of shoe sizes and styles without requiring previous manipulation or careful adjustment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe tree of the character stated which is comprised of a marked simplicity of com onents of limited size and weight, being designed for engagement with the shoe in selected minimal areas so as to conduce to maximum ventilation as well as to prevent undue contact with the shoe.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a shoe tree having a heel portion designed to engage the upper rearward edge of the shoe upper and thereby rendering the shoe tree adaptable for use with shoes of the open heeled or sling type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe tree which may be most economically manufactored, being capable of high volume production; and which is fabricated of durable materials so as to be reliable in use and resistant to wear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe tree constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, illustrating same in engaged relationship within a womans shoe.

3,473,177 Patented Oct. 21, 1969 "ice FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the shoe tree.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the toe portion as viewed on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the toe portion as viewed on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A generally designates a shoe tree of threepart construction comprising a central or main member 1, a toe member 2, and a heel member 3; the same being fabricated preferably of molded plastic or like material. Said central and heel members 1, 3 are of narrow, elongated character, and may be generally of inverted channelshape, each having a top wall or web 4, 5, respectively, and a pair of dependingside walls 6 and 7, respectively, thereby endowing said members with requisite rigidity while permitting of limited wall thickness and consequent relative lightness in weight. At their rearward or heel-adjacent ends, each side wall 6 of central member 1 projects beyond to its wall 4%) to present bosses 8 having aligned openings 9 each for registration with an opening 10 formed on the inset projection 11 of each side wall 7 of heel member 3. Received within the aligned openings 9, 10 is a pivot pin 12 surrounding which, between wall projections 11, is a helical spring 13 having it opposed ends 14, 15 extending in opposite directions for respective abutment against the under face of top walls 4, 5 of members 1, 3, respectively, and thereby urging said members 1, 3 into axially aligned relationship, as may best be seen in FIGURE 3. Thus, by stressing spring 13 said heel member 3 will be swung through an arc in a direction toward, as it were, the under face of central member 1 for purposes presently appearing.

The top wall 5 and the adjacent portions of side wall 7 of heel member 3 at their rearward extremities are rounded and slightly tapered in a direction toward the bottom edge of said heel member 3 to provide a shoeengaging zone indicated generally at 16. The particular rounded and tapering character of said zone 16 permits of facile engagement against the upper rearward portion of the heel section of a shoe S, as indicated at h in FIG- URE 1. Thus, heel member 3 is received under the forward curve of such portion 11 so that any upward force created by spring 13 is resisted by the shoe thereby assuring of snug engagement of heel member 3 therein. Furthermore, due to the unique configuration of zone 16, appropriate shaping is accorded the contacted portion of shoe S. However, of special significance is the fact that heel member 3 engages the upper rearward portion of shoe S as opposed to the heretofore customarily accepted engagement in the lower or bottom part of the shoe heel portion with the force being directly rearwardly and downwardly against such base portion. By the persent construction, shoe tree A is rendered useful with shoes of the so-called heelless type having merely a strap or sling for engaging the wearers foot, which strap is engaged with equal facility by heel member 3. Consequently, heel member 3 constitutes a marked departure in the manner of engagement within the heel portions of shoes, being conductive to proper shoe maintenance and avoiding the heretofore damaging wearing engagement with a shoe.

At its normally forward end, central or main member 1 is also provided with an extension 17 on each of its side walls 6 which are apertured, as at 18, for alignment with openings 19 provided in the upper rearward end portion of each of a pair of parallel, normally vertically disposed plates 20 of toe member 2; there being a pivot pin 21 journalled within said registering openings 18, 19 as to allow swingability of toe member 2 relative to central or main member 1. Said plates 20, which are of generally triangular configuration, are integral along their upper edges with a toe form 22 which is fabricated of a sheet section suitably contoured so as to be transversely arcuated and forwardly and inwardly tapered to providea downwardly rounded forepart 23 and having lateral portions 24, the lower edges of which terminate upwardly of the normally bottom edge 25 of plates 20. It will thus be seen that toe form 22 is relatively thin with respect to plates 20 so as to provide sufficient yieldability for conforming to the toe portion of the shoe S being served and yet presenting adequate resistance for proper shoe maintenance. Plates 20 serve the dual function of supporting toe form 22 in operative position and resisting any accidental or inadvertent downward pressures developed upon toe form 22 during usage. Plates 20 are restrained against accidental displacement during usage by reason of spaced-apart tit-like projections 26 for slight downward urging into the insole 27 of shoe S.

In view of the foregoing it will thus be seen that shoe tree A is of fundamentally simple construction having three articulated components adapted for facile relative positionment for accommodating shoes of varying sizes and types. In actual usage, toe member 2 is inserted into the forward or toe portion of a shoe S with toe form 22 conforming to the confronting portion of the shoe and with plates 20 suitably supporting said form 22 in position. Main member 1 is relatively swung with respect to toe member 2 depending upon the length of shoe S so as to allow for appropriate positionment of zone 16 against the upper heel portion h of shoe S. It will thus be seen that due to the articulation of shoe tree A shoes of varying length may be easily accommodated. Furthermore, only very limited areas of shoe S are contacted by shoe tree A, as, the insole by only projections 26, the heel portion at h, and the toe portion by the toe form 22, so that the interior of the shoe is substantially free for full ventilation, allowing of desired drying. It is apparent that shoe tree A does not require any delicate manipulation or adjustment prior to being received within the shoe S such as is customary with existing structures and is hence easily usable by individuals of all ages.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, and arrangement and combination of the several parts of the shoe tree may be made and substituted for these herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe tree comprising a relatively rigid main member of narrow elongate form and having normally forward and rearward end portions, a relatively rigid elongate heel member, said heel member and said main member being interengaged in the rearward end portion of the latter by a pivot pin extending transversely of said member, resilient means associated with said pivot pin engaging said heel member and said main member for urging same into axially aligned condition, and a toe member pivotally engaged through the forward end portion of said main member.

2. A shoe tree as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said toe member having an upper portion of shoe-toe form and being relatively thin, and a pair of normally vertically presented support elements integral with said shoe-toe form and extending downwardly therefrom below the lower margin of said upper portion.

3. A shoe tree as defined in claim 2 and further characterized by said support elements being in planar parallel relation and having a bottom edge, projection means provided on said bottom edge for engaging a shoe insole.

4. A shoe tree as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the said main member, heel member and toe member being fabricated of molded plastic, said heel member having on its upper rearward end portion a rounded area for engagement with the upper rearward portion of a shoe.

5. A shoe tree comprising a main member of narrow elongate form and having normally forward and rearward ends, a heel member pivotally engaged to the rearward end of said main member, spring means urging said heel member and said main member into axially aligned relationship, a toe member pivotally engaged to the forward end of said main member, said toe member having a toe form and a pair of support plates underlying said form and being integral therewith in their upper portions, said plates extending downwardly below the lower margins of said form and having a downwardly directed, bottom edge, a plurality of projections being provided on the bottom edge of each plate for engagement in the shoe insole for preventing inadvertent displacement of said toe member during usage.

6. A shoe tree comprising a relatively rigid main member of narrow elongate form and having normally forward and rearward ends, a relatively rigid narrow elongate heel member, said main member and said heel member being fabricated of molded plastic, and each being of inverted channel shape having a web depending side walls, a first pivot pin, said heel member being engaged at its forward end to the rearward end of said main member by said first pivot pin, a toe member, a second pivot pin, said toe member being pivotally engaged to the forward end of said main member by said second pivot pin, and spring means disposed encircling about said first pivot pin for urging said main member and said heel member into webaligned relationship.

7. A shoe tree comprising a relatively rigid main member of narrow elongate form and having normally forward and rearward end portions, a relatively rigid elongate heel member pivotally engaged to the rearward end portion of said main member, a toe member pivotally engaged to the forward end portion of said main member, said toe member having a superior portion contoured simulative to the toe portion of a shoe upper, and support means for said superior portion, said support means projecting downwardly below the lower margin of said superior portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,715 11/1921 Aronson 12-1152 1,674,499 6/1928 Carter 121l5.2 1,800,335 4/1931 Battilani 121l5.6 2,275,072 3/1942 Bradshaw 12 1 15.6 2,890,469 6/1959 Matzner 12-l 15.6 2,941,220 6/1960 Schick 12-1 15.6

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 121l5.2 

